Campus mornings were never truly quiet, but today felt different.
It wasn't the noise—it was the tension beneath it. The kind that didn't come from deadlines or exams, but from names whispered behind cupped hands.
Lin Feng, walking alone past the eastern courtyard, caught fragments of the rumors.
"Did you hear? Someone from the Crimson Circle showed up."
"No way… they wouldn't send someone unless—"
"Unless it's about him."
He didn't slow down, didn't acknowledge the murmurs. But the buzz had reached him even before breakfast. And he knew exactly what it meant.
Later that afternoon, he sat on the edge of the campus lawn beneath an aging maple tree. The shade was cool, the breeze light. A moment of peace—until Guo Yuwei found him.
"You've been avoiding the group chat," she said as she walked over, arms crossed. "Everyone's talking about the Crimson Circle."
Lin Feng looked up, expression calm. "Let them talk."
She frowned slightly, then lowered her voice. "You already know who they sent, don't you?"
He gave a quiet nod. "Xue Lian. Not a casual move."
Guo Yuwei sat beside him. "They don't just observe, Lin Feng. If she's here, something's already in motion."
Before he could respond, his phone buzzed. One new message—no contact name.
"Tonight. Nine o'clock. Address to follow. Don't bring anyone."
He read it once, then locked the screen without comment.
Yuwei noticed. "Is that from her?"
Lin Feng stood up, brushing off the back of his pants. "It doesn't matter. I was going to show up anyway."
As the sun dipped low and the lights on campus flickered on, he dressed simply: a dark blazer, open collar, polished but unpretentious. Quiet confidence—not a costume.
The villa outside the city was quiet when he arrived. Not the kind of quiet that invited peace, but the kind that watched.
Xue Lian stood waiting at the entrance, her expression unreadable, her wine untouched.
"Lin Feng," she said, almost like she already knew the shape of his answer. "Welcome to the other side of the board."
He met her eyes for a beat longer than necessary.
"Let's see what kind of game you're playing."
Then he stepped inside.